Air conditioning



31, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 fivenz an' [Zap .yZL ZEw Sept. 18, 1934. w. H. LAPP AIR CONDITIONING Filed Dec.

Sept. 18, 1934. w LAPP 1,974,244

AIR CONDITIONING Filed Dec. 51, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Sept. 18, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1.974.244 Am coNnmdNm William 11.1mm, Ames, Iowa W 1 Application December 31, 1931,Serial No. 584,250

(c1. zap-s) chambers, houses, industrial plants, dwellings and the like.

While heretofore it has proposed to pass air from the outside of a chamber through channels extending below the earth's surface and into" the chamber in order to cool the chamber, the

process has been found tobe expensive and of little practical value. I have found that by re,

circulating air, together with a desired amount of fresh air through sub-surface passages to and y from a cber or building, the air being kept in agitated condition within the chamber, ,an

efiicient, practical, and inexpensive method' of.

conditioning the air within the chamber is obtained. A proper humidity is obtained by intaining a predetermined amount of water within the passages so that the air passes in contact withthe surface of the water. Automatic means are provided also for raising the temperature of the circulated air to the desired temperature, as well as automatic means for controlling the amount of water surface exppsed to the current of recirculating air. Another object is to provide means for agitating the recirculated air and directing its course through the chamber or build; ing. Otherobjects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is fully described in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure I is a sectional view of a building or chamber equipped with apparatus embodying my invention, the section being taken as indicated at line 1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a sectional view, the section being taken as indicated at line 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a diagrammatic detail-view of the thermostatically-controlled fuel feed valve; Fig. 4, a broken, partially sectional view, the section being taken as indicated at line 4 of Fig. 5; Fig. 5, a sectional view, the section being taken as indicated at line 5 of Fig. 4;,and Fig. 6, a detail' sectional view, the section being taken as indicated at line 6 of Fig; 4. N

In the illustration given, A represents a chamber or building; A, a section of earth upon which building A rests; 13, tile or pipe extending from the interior of building A to a certain depth below the surface of the earth A; and c, fan means. for recirculating air. to. and from the building A through the underground passages B.

The building or chamber Apmay be of any suitable construction. It is preferred that the doors, windows, etc., with which the building or chamber is equipped, be kept closed, and that the This invention relates to air conditioning for building be insulated, with good insulating material. The tile or pipe B may be of any suitable number, dimensions, and may be laid in y desired way to effect the purpose of the in- 6 yvjention.

In the illustration given, the inlet pipes 10 and ll, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, are substantially in the shape of the letter U. At the central portion near the base 12 of the pipes 10 and. 11, a horizontal tile 13 communicates with the inlet pipes. At its. other end, the horizontal pipe 13 communicates with a vertical outlet pipe line.

14 which extends above the floor of the building A and into the fan box 15. Preferably, inlet pipes 10 and 11 are located at the opposite end of the room from outlet pipe 14 and extend some distance above the top of outlet pipe 14" and box 15. The base 12 of inlet pipes 10 and 11 and the horizontal pipe 13 are preferably located about fifteen feet below the earth's surface, at 76' which depth a substantially constant-temperature, ranging between. 52 to 58, prevails the year round.

The fan box 15 may be of any suitable construction. As illustrated more clearly in 4 and 5, it may be a rectangular box closed on all sides except one end, at which end is mounted a fan 16 drivenby motor 1'1. An adjustable baffle or deflector 18 is hingedly connected to the box near the fan and is used to regulate the air currents toward the front wall of building A. In order to heat the incoming air, a heating coil 19 is disposed within the box directly above the mouth of outlet pipe li. The coil 19 communicates through pipe 19a withanother coil 20 in heater 21. A vertical pipe 1% leads from pipe 191; and communicates with a safety expansion chamber 19d Any suitable means for heating coil 20 may be employed. As illustrated, an oil burner 22' is supported below coil 20 and is supplied with fuel through pipe 23. Preferably, pipe 23 is provided with a coil 24 which is supported within the chamber or building A and adjacent box 15. This coil permits a pre-warmin'g or heating of the fuel on its way to burner 22. Pipe 23 extends to a suitablefiiel supp y tank 25 preferably located at anelevated position outside of chamber A. The fuel thus flows by gravity from tank 25 to burner 22. In orderto control the flow of fuel through pipe 23, a thermostatically controlled valve 26 is .interposed in the As shown more clearly in Fig. 3, a valve plunger 2! is operated by a pivoted bar 28 which swings between oppositely disposed magnets 29 and so. The magnets are energized separately by a thermostat 31 which is set to maintain a desired temperature within the chamber. Any

' other suitable means for automatically control- Qpump 32. Preferably, the float 34 is equipped ling'the feed to maintain the desired temperature within chamber A may be employed.

As heretofore stated, the dimensions or number of tile or pipes 13 maybe adjusted to provide for the volume of air to be recirculated and to the time required to effect a heat exchange between the recirculated air and the underground pipes. In a building twenty feet (20') by twenty feet (20'), a tile or tube of from fifteen inches (15") to thirty inches diameter has been used satisfactorily according to the plan illustrated more clearly in Figs. 1 and 2.

It is preferred to have the inlet pipes of greater dimensions or greater in number than the horiwith below the earth's surface because the cooled air occupies less space than the air entering inlet pipes 10 and 11. The number and shape of the pipes will doubtless have to be varied to meet the particular requirements of each building, and will change with variations in other factors of the process, as for example, the speed of recirculation, etc.

In effecting the desired heat exchange in the underground tile, the time element enters, and if the volume of air recirculated is drawn through the tile very rapidly, a greater extent of under-' ground pipe will be required. Any man'skilled in the art, however, can compute the amount' of tile area required to effect the desired heat exchange for the volume of recirculated air.

In order to bring the recirculated air into the chamber with a proper relative humidity, the air passing through the underground channels B is preferably brought in contact with a pool of water. This pool is preferably maintained in the bottom of horizontal pipe or pipes 13. In ordinary practice, a certain amount of water will seep into the tile and the water level may be maintained by means of pump 32 which communicates with the bottom of tile 13 through pipe 33. If desired, the tubes B may be made waterduced through the inlet pipes 10 and 1 1. preferred, however, to allow water to percolate .into pipes 13 and to maintain the level of the water at a certain point by automatic means for controlling pump 32. These means consist preferably of a float 34 which engages the pivoted lever 35. When the level rises too high, the float rises and the outer end of lever 35 makes a contact at-36 which actuates motor 3'7 and starts the with one or both of the inlet pipes 10 or 11, and

extends through the wall of building A. The pipe 38 is provided with a damper 39 and inlet pipes 10 and 11 are also provided with dampers 40 which 5 are preferably disposed just above the point of junction between the inlet pipes and pipe 33.

In the operation of the apparatus, the "fan C is started and maintained at the desired speed. Preferably, the fan is driven at a ate which will draw air through the underground channels at about six to eight feet per second. Air from the room or building passes down through inlet pipes 10 and 11 and through the horizontal pipe or,pipes 13 and finally up through the vertical pipe 14' into box 15. If it is awarm season, the

heater 22 is not used and the cooled air passes through box 15 and is deflected by the adjustable shield 18 against the front wall of the chamber. In the passage of the air through horizontal pipe 13, it contacts with the top surface of a pool of water, the level of which is regulated by pump 32 and the automatic means controlling the pump. For example, if the level of the pool exceeds the desired level, float 34 is raised, thereby depressing the free end of lever 35 so as to meet contact point 36. As will be seen more clearly in Fig. 1,

the circuit in which the motor 37 is located, is

completed and the motor is started. After ump 32 has lowered the level of the pool in pipe 13, the float drops and the free end of lever 35 is raised, thus breaking the contact and stopping motor 37. zontal pipe or pipes which communicate there- If the season is cold, and it is desired to raise the temperature of the air passing through pipes B, the heater 22 is used to heatthe liquid in coils 20 and the heat is transferred to coil 19 in box 15. Automatic means, in the nature of a thermostat, for controlling the valve 26 in the fuel line 23 are provided. The valve is opened or closed by thermostat 31'which energizes either magnet 29 or 30 according to the temperature setting of the thermostat and the tem erature prevailing within chamber A. An ad itional economy in heat may be brought about in cold winter months by introducing fresh air through pipe 38, the temperature of which air is raised say from 20 F. to approximately 52 F. before it reaches the heating coil 19.

If desired, a cooling coil 14a may be used, as illustrated, to cool the air passing through the underground pipes. Brine or other cooling fluid may be circulated from a suitable source of refrigeration through coils 1411. If mechanical cooling or refrigerating apparatus is used, the cost of operation will be reduced to a minimum because of the recirculation operation in which cooled air is recooled.

In cooling the building in the summer time, the recirculation of partially cooled. air, rather than the heated air outsideof the building, enables the air within the building to be lowered to a comfortable degree in a very short time and at a very small cost. In the winter time, fuel costs are reduced to a minimum because the warm air is reheated. The agitation of the air by fan C and deflector 18 also aids in conditioning the air for the comfort of the occupants of the building.

The humidity is maintained at a constant level due to the moisture in the underground tile. With the method described. the temperature variation at any two given points in a room will be the lowest possible. 4

The process and apparatus have been found particularly useful in connection with poultry laying houses, brooding rooms and feeding stations in which uniform temperature and humidity have been found .to be necessary for the successful brooding of chicks and for the production of eggs. The process is, however, just as applicable to other buildings, dwellings, etc. in which inexpensive cooling, heating and conditioning of air is desired.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for cleamess of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible, in view of the prior art.

I claim:

1. In apparatus of the character described, a

chamber, underground pipes having an inlet communicating with said chamber at one end thereof and an outlet communicating with the chamber at the other end of said chamber, a box communichamber, an underground pipe having a plurality of inlet pipes communicating with one end of said chamber and having an outlet pipe communicating with the other end of said chamber, a box communicating with the outlet pipe and having a power driven fan rotatably mounted in the open end of said box, a deflector adjustably mounted at the open end of said box, and thermostatically controlled heating means adapted to heat the air entering said box.

3. In apparatus of the character set forth, a chamber, an underground pipe having a plurality of inlet tubes communicating with one end of said chamber and having an outlet pipe communicating with the other end of said chamber, a casing carried by said outlet pipe and affording a fan chamber, a fan mounted in the open end of said chamber, a deflector adjustably mounted at the open end of said casing chamber, and means for heating the air entering said box.

4. In apparatus of the character set forth, a chamber, an underground pipe having an inlet tube communicating with one end of said chamber and having an outlet pipe communicating with the other end of said chamber, a casing carried by said outlet pipe and afiording a fan chamber, a fan mounted in the open end of said chamber, and a deflector adjustably mounted at the open end of said casing chamber.

5. In apparatus of the character set forth, a chamber, an underground pipe having an inlet tube communicating with one end of said chamber and having an outlet pipe communicating with the other end of said chamber, a casing carried by said outlet pipe and affording a fan chamber, a fan mounted in the open end of said chamber, a deflector adjustably mounted at the open end of said casing chamber, and means for heating the air entering said box.

6. In apparatus of the character set forth,- a chamber, an underground pipe having an inlet tube communicating with one end of said cham-- ber and having an outlet pipe communicating with the other end of said chamber, a fresh air pipe communicating with said inlet tube and extending through the wall of said chamber, a

casing carried by said outlet pipe and afiording a fan chamber, a fan mounted in the open end of said chamber, and adjustable means for controlling the flow of return air through said outlet 

